Edited by volunteers and adapted from audio recordings of a few of Lionel Hartley’s public presentations.

Illustrated with original drawings by Lionel Hartley

Typesetting by volunteers using a book template provided and designed by the author.

This book invites you, the reader, to share in a lively hope with and in Christ. Life with Christ is an endless hope, Life without Christ has a hopeless end.

Each chapter concludes with a prayer.

Retired sociologist Lionel Hartley has earned qualifications in Business Administration, Business Law, Electronics, Economics and Accountancy, Graphic Art, IT and an honorary diploma in Dramatic Art. In the 1970s, he graduated as a Community Health Nurse with subsequent postgraduate qualifications in Psychiatric Nursing, Psychopædic Nursing, Nursing Administration and Nursing Nutrition. He later graduated from the St Andrews Clinic under the late Dr Platts with a Certificate in Sex Therapy and Family Life Counselling. In 1980, he graduated from a Melbourne Theological Seminary with a Diploma of Religion. In addition to a large number of other qualifications, Hartley later received his PhD in Sociology in 1989 and was conferred the honour of Academy Professor Emeritus in 1991. He is perhaps best known as the author of over 100 books, co-author, editor, and/or illustrator of over 100 others and the author of scores of periodical articles, pamphlets and multimedia publications. He spent over three decades as a family life counsellor and health & lifestyle educator, firstly for the New Zealand Department of Health, but mostly in private practice (with an unashamed Christian bias) in New Zealand and Australia. He authored and presented his first public seminar in 1965. As a practicing Christian he has been preaching in pulpits since 1960 for many different denominations and faith communities. Although retired from counselling, Hartley is still very involved in campanology, writing, commercial art and public speaking engagements. His hobby in his younger years was the building of reproduction barrel organs and the transposition of music into paper and electronic organ rolls. Hartley is married to Rosemary (nee Wells) and they have three grown children plus a growing number of grandchildren. (Profile provided by Theo B Hawkins [adapted])